On the eve of the NFL’s legal tampering window opening up, the Jets have come to terms with their best young free agent in linebacker Jamien Sherwood. For Sherwood, it’s a 3-year deal worth $45 million with $30 million guaranteed.
A college safety at Auburn, the former fifth-round draft choice (146th overall) becomes the second player chosen in the 2021 draft to earn an extension with the Jets. The first being slot cornerback Michael Carter.
There was some expectation that the Jets would allow Sherwood to walk given Aaron Glenn’s preference for bigger linebackers, but they clearly felt that the 216 pound Sherwood brought enough to the table to justify a big payday.
In time we’ll see how Sherwood’s deal impacts the future of linebacker Quincy Williams, if at all. At the conclusion of the 2024 season, Williams took to twitter to let it be known that he wanted a pay raise. Given his standing as one of the top linebackers in the NFL, it’s safe to assume he’ll want more money than Sherwood. This would mean an extremely large investment in the linebacker position. We’ll know soon enough of the Jets are willing to make that commitment or not.
